Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 13, 38, 43 and 46 together.

The railway order application for Luas BXD was submitted by the Railway Procurement Agency, RPA, to An Bord Pleanála in June 2010 and the oral hearing for the scheme concluded in April 2011.

An Bord Pleanála wrote recently to the RPA seeking submissions and observations on matters relating to the railway order application including interface issues between BXD and metro north and the DART underground projects. It also wrote to the National Transport Authority, NTA, on this matter given the latter's responsibility for public transport provision and integration in the greater Dublin area and sought the authority's confirmation for the overall approach to be adopted in developing these projects.

An Bord Pleanála also asked the RPA to re-examine the location of one of the proposed stops in Dawson Street. It also indicated it would commission an independent study on an alternative to overhead cables in the city centre.

As part of the detailed preparations for the comprehensive capital review last year, consideration was given to the sequencing of these major projects as well as the funding issues. In this regard, various options relating to sequencing were examined by the RPA and the NTA and their advice was taken into account by me in reaching conclusions on the priorities for funding to 2016.

Both the RPA and the NTA advised me that BXD could proceed to construction in a manner which ensures the subsequent ability to develop metro north and DART underground is preserved. I understand they will be responding to the request for additional information from An Bord Pleanála over the coming weeks.

Subject to the granting of the railway order this year, essential pre-construction works could begin in 2013 with the main works scheduled to begin in 2015.

See this speech in context